Dangerous Type
by Aurora West
Summary: The sequel to Time for a Change. The Sinister Six nee Fearsome Five deal with new superheroes, leadership issues, babysitting, and a crime gone wrong.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 

St. Canard. City of lights--sort of. City of dreams...well, not really. City of...incredibly irritating police officers. Yes, that actually fit. 

Megavolt breathed the night air in deeply, enjoying the heady fragrance of electricity on the breeze. Thunderstorms were most definitely the best part of the natural world--the more violent the better. Usually at least part of the city's power was knocked out, providing a convenient cloak of darkness. Now...to commit a crime or not to commit a crime...that was the question. Well, that was always the question. Maybe he'd go wreak some havoc if he had some company. 

The click of high-heeled shoes caught his attention just before a voice greeted, "Hey, Sparky." 

"Hey." Megavolt turned around and scrutinized the young cat standing there. Her tight, black top and mini-skirt, black boots, black gloves, multiple piercings, black and orange hair, and blue eyes were all very familiar. "Where've _you_ been?" 

She strode over to him. "I told you two weeks ago." 

"No you didn't." 

Sighing, she responded, "I did; you just forgot. I went to Acinonx. Remember now?" 

"No." 

"Well, I did." 

Megavolt shrugged, then thought of something. "As your alter ego? Wow, that sure is a great alter ego. Who would ever think that the fearsome Luminas is actually...uh..." 

Luminas smiled and shook her head. "No dice, Megs. I'm not telling you my name." 

He sniffled. "Fine, then. Just...just go." After a moment, he buried his face in his hands and began making muffled sobbing noises. 

Luminas watched him boredly for a minute, and then her ears perked up at a sound from inside the lighthouse. Before she could say anything, Megavolt jumped up and rushed inside. Luminas rolled her eyes and followed, entering just in time to see him pick up a phone. "I'm not even going to ask why he's got that," she mumbled to herself. 

"Well, you took long enough to call," the rat snapped into the receiver. After a second, he said sarcastically, "Oh, boohoohoo." 

A door slammed open downstairs and a voice yelled, "_Just_ because I make toys does not mean you've got the right to short out my hideout!" 

Megavolt held the phone away from his ear and said in a somewhat confused tone to Luminas, "I'm getting a weird echoing effect..." She pointed wordlessly towards the spiral staircase, and realization dawned on the supervillain as he said into the phone, "You can hang up now." 

A large-billed duck in a jester costume stormed up the stairs, looking none too pleased. "I want some respect!" he yelled. 

"Hey, QJ," Luminas greeted calmly. "How goes it?" 

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh fine, fine; except I was kinda counting on going on a _crime spree_! But of course, you _had_ to mess with the lights--" 

Megavolt hit his head and pointed towards the balcony. "Hello? Ever heard of a thunderstorm?" 

Quackerjack opened his mouth to retort, then closed it and furrowed his brow. "Oh. That would explain a lot." 

With an emphatic nod, Megavolt agreed, "Um, yeah, it sure would. Hey, where should we wreak havoc tonight?" 

Quackerjack whipped a list out of a pocket and informed the rat, "Let's see, we cleaned the bank out first thing two months ago...um...you took over the power company, we raided every hardware and toy store in the area, ransacked the computer place..." He thought for a second. "Hey, how about we go to the hospital and terrorize elderly people?" 

"Man, I love having almost total control of this city," Megavolt sighed. 

Luminas rolled her eyes. "And remember who you have to thank for that." 

"I said _almost_, you know." 

"Yes, I noticed. But that's still a whole lot better than what you had before." 

"Tell me your name?" the rat attempted. 

"Nice try." 

"Okay, fine. You'll get no thanks from _me_!" 

Giving him a pained look, Luminas asked, "What's with you and knowing my name? I don't see you telling me yours." 

In a tone that implied it should have been obvious, Megavolt replied, "I don't know it." 

"Elmo Sputterspark," Quackerjack volunteered. 

She grinned devilishly. "Oh, that's cute. Elmo." 

Glaring at her, Megavolt warned, "Don't call me that." Then, turning back to Quackerjack, he said, "Shall we?" 

The duck shrugged. "Sure." 

They began to leave when Megavolt thought of something and asked Luminas, "Wanna come along?" 

"No, I don't think so. Someone might recognize me." 

Quackerjack blinked and gave her a strange look. "Big deal." 

"Well, I'm trying to close a deal on a house, so--" 

"What?!" 

She smiled slightly. "I decided I need a house." 

"Um, yeah, we covered that already," Megavolt said. More than a little disbelief colored his tone. 

"Don't look so surprised. I figured you saw it coming." 

Quackerjack and Megavolt looked at each other and the duck began, "Nooo...we hardly see _anything_ coming with you." 

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said sarcastically. 

"Are you gonna invite us over?" Megavolt questioned eagerly. 

A look of distaste crossed her face. "Oh, I don't know...the carpet's so nice and white..." 

"Come one, we're clean!" Quackerjack protested. "And we won't break anything!" 

"Pleeease?" Megavolt begged. 

Luminas held up her hands. "Boys, simmer down. I don't even own the place yet." 

"But you _will_, and when you _do_, we're coming over." 

She smiled fondly at them. "What would I do without you two? No matter how down I'm feeling, I can come here and see at least one of you act like a complete imbecile, and it always makes me feel better." 

Megavolt blinked. "I have a feeling that wasn't a compliment..." 

Patting his shoulder, Luminas advised, "Go with the feeling. But I've gotta jet. You'll see me in a couple days." 

The moment she was gone, Quackerjack said decisively, "We'll see her house." A moment later, he inquired of Megavolt, "You hungry?" 

"Yeah." 

"That deli on West 85th is supposed to be pretty good." 

"Okay. Let's go. Hospital food is terrible." 

~ 

"August twentieth; ten A.M. It has been two weeks since moving into 541 Avian Way. I have met several of my neighbors, most notably the Muddlefoots, whom I hope to encounter as little as possible in the future." 

The doorbell rang, and Luminas sat up on her bed. "It appears I have a visitor." She looked at her small, hand-held tape recorder and shut it off, then hopped to her feet and glanced at a mirror to make sure she was presentable. T-shirt, shorts, tennis shoes...normal enough. "Be right down!" she yelled. 

The only answer was another impatient ringing of the doorbell. "Well, thanks for waiting," she muttered, descending the stairs and heading to the front door. 

Megavolt was standing outside. 

"What are _you_ doing here?!" she yelped. Then, as a second thought, she grabbed his jumpsuit and pulled him inside. 

"Hey, what's the big idea?" he complained. 

She slammed the door and leaned against it. "The big idea--that you obviously aren't picking up on--is that this is a suburban neighborhood, it's broad daylight, and you are a major supervillain!" 

"So are you." 

With a frustrated sigh, she returned, "I'm out of costume." 

Megavolt opened his mouth to reply, then stopped and looked at her. "I was wondering what was so weird about you. You look different." 

"That's kind of the point." 

Ignoring her, Megavolt started to explore her house. "Hey, this place is nice." 

"It should be, for what I paid," Luminas remarked. "Check out the living room. You'll like it." 

Though he gave her a puzzled look, Megavolt obeyed, and an exclamation of delight soon followed. 

Luminas grinned and moved into the kitchen. "You want some coffee?" she called. 

"Sure," he answered faintly. 

She poured him a cup from her coffeemaker, entered the living room, and handed an incredibly stunned Megavolt the mug. 

He took it from her rather dazedly. "Big screen TV? Stereo system? Computer? Scanner? Digital--" 

"Yeah, the list goes on and on." 

"You've got it all." 

"And I bought it legitimately." 

"With money you--" 

"Stole. Right. Minor detail." 

Megavolt took a sip of the coffee. "You do realize how hard it's going to be to keep me out of here." 

She closed her eyes against the horrible images playing in her mind and nodded, more than a little nauseous. "Just promise me you won't break in. And don't go into my bedroom." 

"Okay." 

Sighing, she said, "I don't know why I bother. You'll just forget you ever agreed to anything." 

At that moment, the doorbell rang again. "Now what?" she questioned to no one in particular. Then, to Megavolt, she ordered, "Just sit here quietly." 

And so, for the second time in ten minutes, Luminas found herself standing at the door. Her visitor this time, however, was the last person she'd expected to see. 

"Hi, neighbor!" The duck standing outside was the perfect model of a suburban citizen--though right now he looked as if he'd been driven over the edge (or at least very near to it) by the rest of his household. "Welcome to St. Canard." 

She covered her initial shock by smiling. "Thanks...I don't believe we've met..." 

He stuck out his hand. "Drake Mallard." 

Shaking the offered appendage, she laboriously came to a decision and told him, "Cinder Litress." There was a crash from the living room and she moved to block Drake's view as he attempted to peer inside. 

"What...uh...what was that?" he asked. 

"What was what?" 

"That sound." 

"Ah." She laughed to stall for time. "That would be my pet rat. He's always getting into things. If you'll excuse me for a moment..." Turning around, she yelled in a high-pitched-pet-scolding tone, "Sparky! We have company! Be polite!" To Drake, she said, "Sorry about that. Um...was there something you needed?" 

Realization dawned on the duck as he forgot about the odd sound. "Actually, yes. I hope you won't think me a bad neighbor, but...I recently got a...new job, and I'd really rather not leave my daughter alone all day..." The wailing of a poorly tuned electric guitar from down the street emphasized his point and Drake finished quickly, "Would you be willing to watch her?" 

Luminas pressed her lips together, in part because she was experiencing extreme indecision, and in part because she was more than a little irritated with Megavolt. "I'm not sure..." Yeah, _that_ was an understatement. 

"I can pay you," Drake added, a note of desperation in his tone. 

"Well..." A particularly dissonant chord caused her to clap her hands over her ears. "Sure, sure, what time should I come over?" 

Drake clasped her and and shook it gratefully. "Thanks, Ms. Litress. Really, you don't know how much this means. It'd just be nine to four...maybe come over a little earlier tomorrow...you know which house is mine?" 

Luminas nodded dazedly, said good-bye, shut the door, and leaned against it tiredly with closed eyes. Had she actually just agreed to watch some snot-nosed little brat? And not just _any_ snot-nosed little brat, oh no, it had to be _his_... Well, after she taught the kid how to play guitar decently she could always back out. 

When she opened her eyes, Megavolt was standing there, a huge grin on his face. "Well then..._Cinder_." 

"Shutup! You were _not_ supposed to know! Now you'll just spread it all over the place..." 

"No I won't," Megavolt assured her unconvincingly. After a moment's thought, he began singing in a mocking tone, "Cinderella, Cinderella, night and day it's Cinderella--yowch!" He broke off abruptly as her foot stamped down--hard--on his. 

"Let me see if I can put this in terms you'll understand," she said slowly. "If you say anything to anyone--or sing that song again--I will torch you. Got it?" 

"Got it," he muttered. "I think you broke my foot." 

"Just be glad I'm not wearing my boots." 

Megavolt grimaced. "Aren't _we_ clever today." 

Cinder smiled sweetly. "Yes, and _we're_ getting more than a little angry..." 

Megavolt muttered something under his breath and then questioned, "Are you trying to tell me something?" 

With a sigh, she replied, "Nice of you to notice. Yes, Sparky, dear, I'd like you to go." She opened the door and pointed at the street outside. "Buh-bye." 

"Through the front?" he asked helplessly. 

"That's the way you came in. You weren't too concerned about it then. Now get out!" 

Shrugging, Megavolt sauntered out. "Okay. See ya around...Cinderella." 

The only response he got was a door slammed in his face. 

~ 

Quackerjack checked his watch impatiently and muttered, "Any time now, ya stupid janitor," as he stood outside St. Canard High School. Briefly, he wondered why he was breaking into a school, but the thought was fleeting, similar to his patience. "Why does it even matter if some custodian sees me? Who's gonna stop me?" He giggled and asked the empty parking lot, "Darkwing Duck?" With another titter, the villain scampered up to the front door and raised a fist to smash in the glass. Before he had a chance to do so, however, a chunk of something bounced off his head and landed in a puddle on the sidewalk. He peered at it for a second as it started to smoke, then mumbled, "Dry ice...?" 

Any possibility of further contemplation was cut off by a female's voice--"By the power of wind and sky, evil, with my help, shall die!" 

Quackerjack groaned. "You've gotta be kidding me..." Waving away the minimal smoke from the piece of dry ice, he beheld a dark figure standing on the school's roof. "Slow night, huh?" he called, then mumbled to himself, "I thought we were done with these loser heroes..." 

The figure spread its arms, revealing a wing-like apparatus, and leapt from the rooftop, swooping dramatically to the ground. "Prepare to perish," she (at least Quackerjack assumed it was a she) announced. 

Pulling a pair of his signature teeth from his pocket, the duck asked nastily, "Take lessons from Darkwing Dork?" 

The figure stepped into the light and Quackerjack's jaw dropped open. "Oh," was all he could utter. "Wow." 

The figure was, in fact, a willowy, young, female squirrel attired in a rather cheaply made costume. At Quackerjack's shocked look and complete lack of movement (other than the twitching of his involuntary muscles), she carefully approached and handcuffed him. "You're under arrest." 

"I am?" he asked dazedly. 

The squirrel, at this, looked quite pleased with herself. "The Flying Wonder triumphs again!" 

This snapped Quackerjack out of his reverie. "Excuse me, what did you just call yourself? The _Flying Wonder_? You're a _crimefighter_?!" It took only a couple seconds for him to fall to the ground, laughing hysterically. 

Her face settled in a determined expression and she replied stoutly, "Yes, I am a crimefighter. I beat you, and if I'm not mistaken, _you_ are Quackerjack, the feared and hated toymaker who is also a member of the Fearsome Fi--er, I mean--" 

"Sinister Six," Quackerjack wheezed, breathless from laughing. 

"Right, a member of the Sinister Six," she corrected herself. 

Focusing on her face again, Quackerjack blinked and then grinned rather foolishly. "Hey, you're pretty for a crimefighter." 

The Flying Wonder opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again and tilted her head, a thoughtful expression on her face. "The manual didn't cover this," she murmured to herself. Looking back to Quackerjack (who still had that foolish expression plastered on his features), she furrowed her brow and muttered, "Well, it _did_ say that 'when in doubt, take three steps back'." She did this a bit ceremoniously, then announced, "You're coming with me to the county jail...wait...no, that's not right..." 

Despite the fact that Quackerjack was already enamored with this nervous little superhero, he broke into raucous laughter. "The 'county jail'? Seriously, where'd you get this stuff?" 

"Isn't it intimidating you just a little?" 

"No. It's pretty lame." 

With a sigh, the girl plopped down on a garbage can. "It was supposed to be the best superhero manual out there." 

Shrugging, Quackerjack informed her, "Hey, it could happen to anyone. There are a lot of bad instruction books out there. Trust me. You just need to learn your trade again." He looked at her costume dubiously. "And you should start with that." 

"My outfit?" she questioned in a dismayed tone. 

"Uh, yeah. It looks like something out of a cheap fifties science fiction movie. And while you're doing that, get a new name for yourself." 

"I didn't think it was so bad..." 

"Well, it is," the duck informed her. "I don't want my name mentioned in the same headline as yours." 

She looked hurt. "But the manual--" 

"Your manual was probably written by some wannabe," he interrupted. 

Putting her hands on her hips, the Flying Wonder snapped, "I'd like to see you write a good instruction book." 

"No thanks. This supervillain gig works out fine." 

"Who do you think you are, anyway?" 

"Quackerjack, feared and hated toymaker who is also a member of the Sinister Six," he quipped with a grin. The Flying Wonder buried her face in her hands, and the duck watched her for a moment, then slipped the handcuffs off his wrists, noting with a little pity that they were the fake kind anyone could buy at Jay-Mart for a dollar. Placing the cuffs beside her on the garbage can, he said, "Well, it's been fun, kid. Look me up. It's been awhile since I've been anywhere with a cute girl." 

She didn't acknowledge him as he sauntered away, whistling dissonantly, the high school totally forgotten. 

~ 


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 

"Alright, you knobs, listen up." Negaduck paced up and down in front of Megavolt, Quackerjack, Bushroot, and the Liquidator. "Where's Luminas?" 

"She got detained," Megavolt informed him. 

The duck scowled. "Then that's her loss. I'm not waiting." He paused then and glared at each of them in turn before stating, "I'm leaving." 

Four sixths of the Sinister Six looked at each other in surprise. So much for expecting the worst. 

"W-where are you going?" Bushroot stammered meekly. 

"Somewhere far away from you morons." 

"I always thought you should take a vacation, boss," Quackerjack piped up. 

"The time is now," the Liquidator added. 

"Shutup," Negaduck snapped. "Do you think I'm an idiot? I know perfectly well you freaks have been waiting for the chance to get rid of me since day one. Well, I'm not _giving_ any of you that chance." A distant look entered his eyes, then fled as quickly as it had come. "Don't try to find me," he warned ominously. "Believe me, you'll be sorry. And I might be back if any of you losers ever makes it big so I can take what's rightfully yours." Without so much as a good-bye (not that that was particularly surprising), Negaduck stalked out of his (former) hideout. 

Bushroot, Quackerjack, the Liquidator, and Megavolt looked at each other again, still in shock. "You guys..." the jester began, "...do you realize what just happened?" 

"Negaduck chewed us out?" Megavolt asked. 

"Mildly," Bushroot reminded him. 

"No. Negaduck's gone!" 

"Oh yeah, that too," the rat shrugged. 

"So let's party!" 

Rolling his eyes, Megavolt remarked, "That's all you ever do." 

"You're just jealous. You're too uptight. You should lighten--" 

"It's old, Quacky," Bushroot cut in. 

The duck blinked. "Well...just...um...fine! Be that way!" Looking to Megavolt, he asked, "Where _is_ Luminas, anyway?" 

Megavolt grinned. "Babysitting." 

~ 

"Gosalyn, your lunch is ready!" 

There was no answer from the young girl, and Cinder ground her teeth together in frustration. It had been like this all morning. In fact, it was almost as if the kid was afraid of her--as if she recognized her from the brief meeting the two had had a couple months ago. She was out of costume now, but...out of costume only meant that she wore conventional clothing and no make-up. She glanced at herself in the toaster. Her appearance was altered enough so that instead of being a dead-ringer for the notorious Luminas, there was merely a strong resemblance. And, of course, there was a reason she was careful to avoid being photographed. 

"Gosalyn!" she called again. 

A door opened reluctantly upstairs. "What?" 

"Lunch! Your _lunch_!" 

"Oh." 

A blur shot down the staircase and into the kitchen, then came to rest on a chair at the table. "So what didja make, Miss Litress?" Gosalyn asked in a deceptively polite tone. 

Glancing at her, the babysitter replied, "Pizza. And you can call me Cinder." 

"Oh, okay, Cinder. I s'pose you probably feel old when people call you 'Miss Litress', right?" Gosalyn smiled sweetly. "At least that's what they always say on T.V." 

Cinder removed the pizza from the oven and set it in front of her charge. "Well, no, not exactly. I just think we should be on first name terms. Don't you?" 

"Sure, I guess." The girl wolfed down the pizza in a record-breaking forty-five seconds, then rose from the table. "Well, that was great; gotta run; bye!" 

Without another word, she ran back up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door. Silence again reigned in the house. 

Then the phone rang. 

"I just love taking messages," Cinder mumbled, picking up the phone. "Hello?" 

"What's _your_ favorite scary movie?" 

She rolled her eyes. "Why are you calling me here?" 

"Well, you gave me the number. How long did you think I could hold out? Geez." 

"That was in case something important came up, Sparky," she hissed. "_Really_ important. Life or _death_ important." 

"This is pretty important." 

"Yeah?" 

"Negaduck's gone. He said he's leaving and that we shouldn't try to find him...not that we'd want to, anyway..." 

"Then it's the Fearsome Five again? No, that would be too confusing. We can still be the Sinister Six. We're just...missing a member." 

"Yeah, I had that same thought." 

"You did?" 

"No." Megavolt paused briefly. "Can I call you Cindy?" 

"No!" 

"Just checking. Anyway, I thought you should know. I'd better let you get back to your babysitting. Plus I wouldn't wanna tie up the phone line in case an urgent call from the diaper service came in." 

Cinder didn't dignify that comment by replying and instead just hung up. When she turned around, Gosalyn was standing there with her hands on her hips. 

"Y'know, the time you spend talking to your boyfriend is deductible from your pay," she said darkly. 

Cinder didn't dignify that comment with a "that wasn't my boyfriend", either. "I'll keep that in mind." 

The two faced off for a couple seconds before Gosalyn asked speciously, "Can I have a friend over?" 

"I don't think your dad would--" 

"Oh, my dad doesn't care. Honker comes over all the time." 

"Well," Cinder began, "if you're sure..." 

With a winning smile, Gosalyn replied, "I'm sure. Trust me." 

~ 

Drake Mallard sighed as he pulled his old station wagon into the driveway. First day on a new job. And a horrible day at that. He just hoped the babysitter had been able to control Gosalyn. If not... He shuddered. 

The house was sparkling when he entered, and Cinder was sitting on the couch in the living room, calmly reading The Great Batsby. "Oh, Mr. Mallard, you're home." 

"Where's Gosalyn?" he asked her curiously. 

"Upstairs in her room." 

"Did she give you any trouble?" 

"No, she was like an angel." 

"Oh. Well, that's...that's great!" 

"Same time tomorrow, then?" 

"Yes. Absolutely. Same time," Drake replied, stunned. 

Cinder have him a wide smile. "Okey-dokey, neighbor." 

When she was gone, Drake said to himself, "She seems nice." 

~ 

"This is the police. You are surrounded. Come out with your hands up and you won't be harmed." 

Megavolt took a bite of pizza and shot a bolt of electricity at the wall, scorching a black mark into the paneling. "Four this week," he observed idly to himself. "This is getting bo-ring." Sighing and walking over to the window, he yelled to the cops, "I'm not coming out; you're not coming in; so can't we just coexist peacefully?" 

"If you don't--" 

Megavolt simply stopped listening at this point--he'd heard the whole spiel before. "Guess not. Oh well." He cracked his knuckles, shot a couple bolts out the window, and watched, amused, as the police force scattered. A few of the braver members fired their guns several times, but the bullets deflected harmlessly off the lighthouse walls. 

Quite suddenly, one of the squad cars exploded. "I didn't do it!" Megavolt shouted. 

There was a hysterical giggle, and then, "No, I did!" Quackerjack bounced into view and struck a pose. "Take your best shot, coppers!" 

They did. 

The duck screamed in terror and dove behind a squad car that was still intact while bullets whizzed by over his head. 

Another of the vehicles blew up, and from the lighthouse window, Megavolt announced, "That was me!" 

"Hey, I'm perfectly capable of handling this!" Quackerjack complained loudly. 

"Whaddaya mean you're capable of handling this? _They_ showed up _here_--_my_ lighthouse--and therefore, I am the only one here who should be capable of handling anything!" To prove that this was so, Megavolt magnetized the only remaining squad car, and the police, due to the large amount of metal on their uniforms, were drawn to it. 

Quackerjack strolled past the now harmless law enforcers, threw open the lighthouse door, and bounded up the steps two at a time. When he reached the top, he whined plaintively to Megavolt, "I have nothing to do!" 

"So?" 

"I'm _bored_!" 

"Call Luminas. I bet she'd be happy to fight with you." 

"Nah." The duck plopped down on the floor. "You ever heard of chairs, Megs?" 

"Sure," Megavolt replied with a shrug. "I just don't use 'em." 

"Well, you should."" 

"For your convenience?" 

"Yeah, obviously." Quackerjack fell silent for a second, then said, "Y'know how we thought we were done with superheroes?" 

Megavolt stared at the duck. "What did you do?" he demanded. 

"No, I didn't do anything! But there's this new hero on the loose." 

Letting out a melancholy sigh, Megavolt lamented, "Why is it so _hard_ to be a supervillain these days? Why can't we just be left alone to create mass destruction?" 

Quackerjack didn't seem to be paying all that much attention. Not that that was unusual, but he had started the conversation; the rat felt that he should at least offer a nod or _something_. 

"Well, listen," the jester finally began. "If you run into this hero, be careful." 

Megavolt gave him an odd look and backed up a couple of steps. "Don't show concern for me. It's creepy." 

"I'm not, moron." 

"Oh, then never mind." 

"Just don't hurt her." 

The rat pondered this request for a moment and then did a double take. "_Her_?" The implications only took a couple seconds to sink in, and then Megavolt broke into hysterical laughter. "So, there's a lady in you life now? And I say 'now', of course, because last year doesn't count." 

"Last year?" 

"Yeah, the Christmas party? You and Ammonia Pine? You were drunk." 

"Oh god." Quackerjack looked slightly ill before he scowled at his companion. "You've got a _really_ selective memory, don't you?" 

"Actually, I had to write that one down. It seemed like the kind of thing that would come in handy if I ever wanted to blackmail you." 

With a smirk, Quackerjack remarked, "You probably imagined it." 

"I got pictures, too." 

"Ew, never mind!" Quackerjack squealed. 

Megavolt grinned wickedly and commented, "So this time it's a heroine, huh? When's the wedding?" 

"I'm not getting _married_, battery breath!" Quackerjack snapped. "I just don't have a weird attraction to inanimate objects!" 

The rat shrugged. "They listen." 

"Yeah, they do, but you can't date them. Anyway, I came here for some moral support." 

"Moral support? For dating?" 

"Or some advice would work." 

Megavolt snorted. "Well, you came to the wrong villain. I'm pretty sure I've never been on a single date." 

"Wow, that's sad." 

"So I don't waste my time with women. Big deal." 

With a thoughtful expression on his face, Quackerjack remarked, "Y'know, that's kind of weird. Luminas has this aversion to men." He gasped dramatically. "You two would be _perfect_ for each other!" 

There was silence, and then, "Don't even joke about that." 

"Hey, wouldn't'cha know, that was almost exactly what _she_ said when we had this conversation! Only she got really violent about it..." 

"I'm sorry to hear that." 

"You are?" 

"No." 

Quackerjack twirled one of the tassels of his jester cap around his finger. "So what should I do?" 

Rolling his eyes, Megavolt suggested, "Ask her out." 

The duck's eyes widened. "Is that all there is to it?" 

"Don't ask me, I was just giving you some advice." 

"Then doesn't logic dictate that I should ask you to explain your advice? I guess it doesn't really matter, though." 

Megavolt watched as the duck ran for the door, then called, "Hey, Quacky?" 

Pausing in mid-sprint, Quackerjack questioned, "What?" 

"If she's a superhero, you don't have a chance." 

Quackerjack smirked. "Well, I guess we'll see about that, won't we?" 

"I guess we will." 

The door slammed shut, and Megavolt turned away in disgust. If he ever got to be that way... The rat shuddered. What a waste of time that conversation had been. 

~ 

For about the five-hundredth time that night, Cinder turned over in her bed and let her arm dangle over the edge of the mattress. Insomnia really got old after the first two hours. She stared at the opposite wall of her bedroom, and then her blue eyes flickered towards the phone on her bedside table. 

"Good god; this is childish," she muttered to herself as she picked up the receiver and dialed. 

After the twenty-fifth ring, a groggy voice answered the phone with a rude, "Whaddaya want?" 

"It's me." 

"So? Same question." 

She sighed. "I can't sleep." 

There was a pause, and then, sarcastically, Megavolt said, "Aw, honey, I'm sorry. Try a glass of warm milk and leave me alone." 

"No, wait." 

"What?" 

Cinder laid back down on her bed. "Can't we...I don't know...talk? Or something?" 

"Is something bothering you?" 

"I don't know." 

"You don't know? It was kind of a yes or no question." After a second, he acquiesced reluctantly, "Look, I'll come over there, okay?" 

"You'll come--uh, you don't have to..." 

"Don't mess with a good thing, Luminas. I'm feeling unusually nice." 

With another sigh, Cinder said helplessly, "Okay..." 

This was odd. What had possessed her to call him? And then to actually allow him back into her house? Weird, weird, weird. 

While she waited for her--dare she say--friend, Cinder rose from her bed and padded downstairs to the kitchen, where she prepared a pot of coffee and leaned against the counter, watching the microwave's clock in fascination. _Was_ something bothering her? She didn't feel particularly depressed, but then again... 

"Hindsight is always twenty/twenty," she mumbled, recalling with ease now that every bad thing that had happened in recent years had come about due to a feeling of malaise. 

Maybe it was just the fact that she'd felt the need to call someone...and _talk_. Talk? She hadn't "talked" for four years. To start again probably wouldn't be the best thing. And to...talk...to Megavolt? 

"Why'd I call _him_?" she asked the microwave. 

The appliance didn't answer, but a small part of her consciousness supplied, "Because you have a _crush_ on him. Ooh!" 

"Shutup," Cinder told it. Then, disgustedly, she buried her face in her hands. "My subconscious is taunting me about things I don't know about...and don't _want_ to know about...and I am responding. Pitiful. I need a shrink." 

There came a soft knocking at the front door just then, but even that small sound caused her to jump. Then, regaining her composure, she rushed to the door, throwing it open and leaning against the frame somewhat neurotically. "Megs! Do I look as insane as I feel?" 

He gave her a perplexed look. "Uh..." 

"Never mind, just come in!" 

"Are you okay?" Megavolt questioned as she led him into the kitchen. 

"Okay? Yeah, I'm fine." She poured herself a cup of coffee, then asked, "Want some?" 

"Um, yeah, sure." The villain carefully took both the mug and the coffee pot from her. "Maybe you shouldn't have any, though? You're acting kind of wired..." 

"Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?" 

Megavolt rolled his eyes. "No. How about you sit down." 

With a deep breath, she said, "That's a good idea." 

Seating himself across the table from her, he took a sip of his coffee and observed, "You're jumpy tonight." 

"Am I?" 

"Uh huh." 

There was silence for a minute, and then Megavolt remarked, "There's something I've always wondered about you." 

Cinder blinked at him. "What's that?" 

"How do you know when you've...er...combusted...too much?" 

"That's a morbid subject, isn't it?" 

"I don't know, is it? You wanted to talk, so let's talk about that." 

Sighing and placing her hands on the table, Cinder answered, "I die." 

"I guess that is pretty morbid." 

She gave him a humorless smile. "Yeah. I burn up from the inside out." 

Megavolt made a disgusted face, which became confusion as something hit him. "If you die, then how exactly is it that you're still around to tell me about it?" 

"I thought that was obvious." 

"No..." 

"I've never done it." 

He nodded. "That expla--no, it doesn't." 

With a yawn, Cinder agreed, "No, it really doesn't. But neither does 'I just know'. Which is what I would have said. Sorry." 

The two regarded each other for a minute before Megavolt inquired, "Sleepy yet?" 

With a wan smile, the cat replied, "Yeah, you can go if you want." 

Rising and giving her a suspicious look, he said, "You sure?" 

"Positive." 

She walked him to the door, but there he halted and began in a tone surprisingly serious, "Cinder...y'know when you told me about how you...got like this?" 

"Mm hmm..." 

Megavolt looked directly into her eyes. "Did you lie?" 

She didn't so much as twitch. "You think I made all that up?" 

"Um...kind of." 

"Why would I do that?" 

"Well, let's see." Megavolt raised his hand and began ticking off reasons on his fingers. "You hardly knew me. You didn't trust me. I mean, you tried to kill me, so..." He paused. "I don't know _anything_ about you, Cinder, and you know practically everything about me." 

Scowling, she responded, "That was intentional, Sparky." 

"Don't call me that," he sighed. "And I don't see why you can't tell _me_. We're pals." 

"Simple. You don't want to know, and I don't want to tell you." 

Megavolt stared at her for several seconds. "I think you're wrong." 

"I don't think you're in any position to be lecturing me." 

"Maybe not, but that's still what I think." 

Cinder came close to pushing him outside and slamming the door in his face, but the rat beat her to it, exiting and shutting the door gently behind him. After a moment, the sound of an engine reached her ears, then gradually faded as Megavolt's car shot down the street and tore around the corner. 

Disquieted, she turned and leaned against the door, then murmured, "He'll forget it by tomorrow." 

~ 

Across the street, Gosalyn watched as a strangely familiar car pulled out of Cinder Litress's driveway. In the darkness, it was hard to make out any details, but the girl knew she'd seen it before. "Oh, Dad," she whispered, "why'd you have to give up crime-fighting?" 

~ 

Quackerjack sighed boredly. Nothing to do. How typical. Committing a crime would be nice, but these days, what with the sudden increase of members of the National Guard in St. Canard, that was a tad difficult. It was wise to have at least one other villain along. Preferably one with superpowers. Though that basically went without saying, the duck supposed. 

"At least Negaduck isn't here to yell at us," he remarked to Mr. Banana Brain. 

"I never liked him," the puppet agreed. "You should have given him a piece of your mind!" 

Quackerjack shivered. "It's too soon to think about that." 

"You're a big baby." 

Scowling, the duck retorted, "Well, he was my boss, not yours, so you shouldn't even talk." 

Mr. Banana Brain didn't reply. 

"There's a name for people like you," Quackerjack muttered. 

Suddenly, he spotted the phonebook. His eyes widened and his mouth formed a giant 'oh' before he jumped to his feet and rushed to a monolithic pile of publications. The one he desired was on the bottom. 

"Umm..." The villain deliberated for a minute, then shrugged and pulled the book out. Predictably, the entire stack toppled over and buried him, but after several seconds of submersion, he popped his head and arms out of the clutter, set the phone book in front of his face, and flipped to the F's. 

"She won't be in there!" Mr. Banana Brain yelled spitefully. 

"Shutup, you," Quackerjack shot back. 

This time, Mr. Banana Brain gasped, then fell silent in a rather sulky manner. 

The duck pointed and laughed briefly, then returned quite seriously to the matter at hand. 

And there it was! "Ooh, goody!" Quackerjack exclaimed gleefully, jotting the number down where he'd be sure to find it again--his hand. Another thought occurred to him, and he glanced at the clock, which read 2:38 A.M. "That late already?" he wondered aloud. "Is that too late to call?" He looked around the warehouse hopefully, anticipating an answer, but Mr. Banana Brain was still ignoring him. "Oh, fiddlesticks," the duck grumbled. "I have to figure this out on my own? Maybe I'll go over there tomorrow. Yeah. That's what I'll do." With this decision made, he scribbled onto his hand the address given. 

This time, he looked around again helplessly and asked, "Now how do I get out of here?" 

~ 


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

CHAPTER 3 

"Okay, so this is our first official meeting since Negaduck...er...left," Megavolt announced. 

"I don't think it's technically official unless all of us are here," Bushroot pointed out. "And Luminas isn't." 

"Again," the Liquidator added. 

"Yeah, she had to go and get a day job," Quackerjack complained. 

The four of them were gathered around a beat-up old table in their hideout, watching each other somewhat warily. Hey, with Negaduck gone, who knew what might happen? 

After several seconds of awkward silence, Bushroot questioned in a small voice, "Does anyone else find this weird?" 

"What?" the Liquidator asked. 

"Well..." The plant-duck thought for a moment, then explicated, "We're still a gang, but we have no leader." 

"Technically, we do," the Liquidator reminded him. "He just isn't here." 

"Hey," Quackerjack piped up,"you're not doing that annoying salesperson thing." 

"I didn't get much sleep last night," the watery entity informed him, as if that explained everything. 

There was another brief silence, and then Megavolt remarked, "Too bad we can't get our entire gang here." 

Bushroot looked at him doubtfully. "I don't know. Luminas makes me kind of nervous." 

"Everyone makes you nervous, Veggie," Quackerjack taunted. 

Choosing to ignore this remark, the mutant continued, "She kind of reminds me of Negaduck." 

At this, Megavolt snorted. "No way. Trust me on this one, Veggie, she's intimidating at first, but once you commit a couple crimes with her, she's not so bad. Oh yeah, and she's not blood-thirsty." 

"Sparky and Luminas are in love," Quackerjack whispered loudly to the Liquidator. 

"Shutup, moron!" the rat yelled. "And I hate it when you call me that!" 

With an insane grin, the jester dove for protection behind the nearest watery object. "Don't let him zap me," he whined to the Liquidator. 

Sighing, the former bottled water salesman commented in exasperation, "I'm not going to deal with this. Was there a point to this 'meeting'?" 

"Um..." Megavolt pondered that for a minute, shrugged, and replied, "I don't remember," which elicited a collective groan from the other three villains. 

"Thanks a lot, plug-head," Bushroot snapped. "I was working on something important back at the greenhouse, too." 

"This wasn't my idea!" the rat exclaimed defensively. 

"It wasn't?" 

"No!" 

"Well, then whose was it?" 

Quackerjack, Megavolt, and the Liquidator shrugged. 

"I think we...er..._agreed_ on it," Quackerjack finally supplied doubtfully. 

"Agreed _on_ it or _to_ it?" the Liquidator interred. 

Confusion dominated the duck's features. "No, I...I think _on_ it." 

The four of them looked at each other, then said as one, "Luminas." 

"Now, if we could just get charcoal breath to show--" Quackerjack began, only to be cut off by a voice. 

"So, is that what you call me behind my back, QJ?" Luminas questioned idly. 

"Um...that was my anger speaking." 

The Liquidator studied her, and after awhile remarked, "Nice hair." 

She blinked, then observed, "He's not doing that annoying salesperson thing." 

"Nope," Megavolt agreed. 

With a tired sigh, Luminas sank down into the only remaining chair in the room. "I can't stay long--I have to work." 

Bushroot and Megavolt snickered, and Quackerjack asked, "What did you do, try to get a head start on getting here early and sleep in a tree? You look terrible." 

"Hey!" Bushroot objected. 

"You're so funny," she informed the jester sarcastically. 

"Thank you." 

"I didn't mean that." 

Quackerjack looked offended. "I _know_ that!" 

Burying her face in her hands, Luminas sighed, "Oh, god." 

"So," the Liquidator began, "to answer the question on all of our minds--" 

"Please," the cat interrupted helplessly, "keep talking normal." 

The watery villain gave her an odd look, then rephrased his words, "Why is it exactly that we're having this chat?" 

Lifting her had slightly and massaging her temples, Luminas told him, "We need to be more organized. The police are a lot more dangerous now. We don't want the mayor bringing the army in--" 

"Or any more of them than he already has," Quackerjack muttered. 

"--and then not be prepared," she continued, ignoring the duck. 

"What do you suggest?" Megavolt asked. 

"That we commit crimes as a group. We're supposed to be the Sinister Six, not 'those five supervillain lamebrains who think they're intimidating but really can't stand to spend two minutes in the same room with each other'." 

Quackerjack raised his hand. "For the record, the four of us have been here over a half an hour." 

"Yeah, and there weren't any serious injuries," Megavolt added. 

"Wonderful. But do you see what I'm getting at?" 

"Of course," Quackerjack responded somewhat loftily. "We aren't _stupid_." 

Luminas rolled her eyes, but humored him and agreed, "Absolutely not. But the ultimate point of the merry little get-together is to say that it's about time we reinforce our presence in this city." 

"Sounds like Negaduck to me," Bushroot mumbled to the Liquidator. 

"I heard that," the girl informed him, much to the plant-duck's surprise and chagrin. "I've got good ears," she reminded him. When he started trembling, she said, "Um, I'm not going to hurt you, Reggie. Because I'm _not_ like Negaduck. Not remotely. I mean, did the four of you ever notice how full of himself he was?" 

"Are you implying that you aren't?" Quackerjack quipped. 

"Oh, ha ha; look who's talking." 

The duck stuck his tongue out at her. 

Luminas smirked at him, then went on, "I'm not any kind of leader, either. Just so you know, okay? If you even jokingly refer to me as 'Boss', I'll probably grill you." 

"Comforting thought for you three," the Liquidator sneered. 

Megavolt snapped his head around to glare at the other villain. "You're pretty cocky for someone who recently developed twice the chance for getting evaporated." 

"Yeah? I notice you're keeping as far away from me as you possibly can." 

"Insurance," Megavolt said. "I have high rates as it is." 

There was a pause in the arguing, and Luminas inquired, "Are you two finished?" Megavolt and the Liquidator looked at each other, then nodded. "Good," the cat said. "I hope none of you are busy Saturday night." 

"Haven't we already robbed every place in the city?" Bushroot spoke up tentatively. 

"Sure," she told him. "But we haven't burned down the Plaza Hotel." 

~ 

"Burn down the Plaza Hotel," Quackerjack muttered to himself as he made his way through the darkened, narrow hall of the apartment building. "Sure, she promotes her _own_ superpower." Pausing to scan the doors for the number he was searching for, he whined, "It's not fair! And where's 80B, anyway?" 

He failed to notice that he'd reached the end of the hallway, and the resulting collision with a door drew a mild curse from his bill. "Hey, 80B," the duck noted happily, flicking his eyes upwards to the apartment's address. 

There was no answer the first time he knocked, so he attempted it again, and this time, a faint shout came from inside. After several seconds, a young, extremely frazzled squirrel threw open the door. "I already paid my taxes, if that's what--" Her hazel eyes widened as she recognized her visitor, and a hand went immediately to her mouth. 

"Hey, Flying Wonder," Quackerjack greeted with a jaunty wave. 

"How did you find me?" she gasped. 

"Um...the phonebook." 

"The...the phonebook? I didn't..." The girl groaned. "...oh, yes, I did." 

Quackerjack nodded. "Yeah, you did. Uh, you think it'd be possible for me to come in? I'm not exactly citizen of the month." 

"No!" the Flying Wonder exclaimed. "You're a wanted criminal! I'm not letting you in my house! What do you want, anyway?!" 

"I wouldn't hurt you," Quackerjack promised. She still looked suspicious, so he added, "If I'd _wanted_ to, I already would've. Trust me on this one." 

"_Trust_ you?" she asked incredulously. A deliberating look settled on her face, but finally, she acquiesced grudgingly, "Well, I guess it wouldn't be the best thing if my neighbors saw you out here...you won't trash my apartment or anything, will you?" The duck shook his head, and the squirrel stepped back into the room. "Okay, then. You can come in." 

Quackerjack marveled at that. Getting her to display even that small amount of trust had been much simpler than he'd ever expected. Time to experiment a little. "So, now that I've see what you really look like, maybe you'd consider giving me...a name? I'm not gonna call you the 'Flying Wonder' forever." 

She blinked in surprise and brushed a strand of auburn hair from her face. "You're suggesting that we're going to be seeing a lot of each other?" 

"Well, that was my plan," he admitted casually. 

Backing away from him slightly, the girl interred a bit nervously, "You're not some kind of pervert, are you?" 

In an amused tone, Quackerjack replied, "Not the kind you mean." He chose that moment to glance around her small apartment. There wasn't much in the living room--or wherever it was that they were standing in--just a tattered old couch and a slightly newer looking chair. A single, small, rectangular window let a small amount of light in, though the fact that it was facing a brick wall certainly cut down on the illumination of the room, as well as the photosynthesis process of several plants hanging from the ceiling. One corner had sheet vinyl tiles instead of dingy, off-white carpeting, and it was in this corner that a refrigerator and microwave sat. Farther back, there was a short darkness-shrouded hallway with two doors branching off from it--the bedroom and bathroom, Quackerjack assumed. Two frames hanging near the door he'd come in, however, caught his attention, and he approached them curiously. One held a highschool diploma certifying that Avia Triks had graduated. Avia. Hm. Unusual name. The other gilt frame held a color photo of four squirrels, all with various degrees of red-brown hair and fur. 

Quackerjack turned to the Flying Wonder and pointed with a thumb to the picture. "This is your family?" 

"Yeah," she replied in a soft voice. 

Something in that tone prevented him from prying any further, and instead he stated, "So, your name's Avia?" 

"You wouldn't spread this around, would you?" she inquired anxiously. "My identity, I mean?" 

With a small laugh, he informed her, "No one knows who you are. It really wouldn't matter if I did." 

"Well...just...don't, okay?" 

"I won't." 

She sighed. "Someday I'm going to get my chance at a really big villain. Then no one will laugh in my face." With this statement, she glanced pointedly at the duck. 

"Hey, you want a chance at a major villain?" He spread his arms a bit mockingly. "Here I am." 

Avia looked at him, then sighed again. "Who am I kidding? I got my chance. And I blew it." 

Regarding her, Quackerjack said, "I wouldn't worry about it too much. You've got plenty of time. Speaking of which, is there a _time_ in the near future that you'd be free to go on...say...a friendly outing?" 

"You mean like a date?" she asked with a little surprise. 

The duck actually flushed faintly. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that." 

This time, it was she who regarded him. "You're really serious, aren't you?" 

"Isn't that pretty obvious?" A devastating thought occurred to him, and he asked with a touch of hopelessness, "You aren't..._seeing_ someone, are you?" 

"Me?" Avia laughed self-mockingly. "Look at me." 

"I think you're pretty." 

At this rather matter-of-fact statement, she blushed and stammered, "Well...er...thanks." 

"So do you wanna do something? Say...tomorrow night?" 

"This isn't some kind of trap, is it? You're not going to have the rest of the Fearsome Five...or Sinister Six...or whatever you guys are there with you, are you?" 

"Nope, it'll just be me." He held up two fingers. "Scout's honor. We can go to a movie or something. I guarantee it won't be sold out." 

In spite of herself, the squirrel couldn't help smiling at him. "I couldn't think of a better way to spend my Friday night." 

Quackerjack returned the smile quite goofily. "Me either." 

~ 

"Eight fifty-eight!" Cinder crowed as she ran into the kitchen. "I am _good_! Now, two minutes to get across the street...piece o' cake." 

The cat sprinted to the front door, locked it, and continued her mad dash to the Mallards' home. 

She had no idea of the scene going on inside the house. 

"Dad, why can't _Launchpad_ just watch me?" Gosalyn demanded. 

Drake sighed over his soggy breakfast. Why, indeed? "Because he had to get a job." A _real_ job, he added to himself. 

"Wasn't watching me _enough_ of a job?" 

"Well, you've got a point there, Gos," he replied, smiling wryly. "But it doesn't pay too well." 

This time, the girl sighed as well. "Yeah, I know. But that Cinder is just _creepy_. I mean, we really don't know anything about her at _all_, Dad! She could be a...a...spy! We could be harboring a _spy_ in our house!" 

Giving her a warning look, Drake rose from the table and walked upstairs. He realized, of course, that his daughter would not be deterred that easily. 

"What if she's in a cult? Or what if she's an FBI agent who _pretends_ to be in cults? No, wait...she could be the Unabomber!" 

Drake carefully put a tie on and looked at Gosalyn in the mirror. "I think she's just a nice girl who moved into town at the wrong time." 

Gosalyn grimaced and looked at her feet. After a moment, however, she raised her head, a determined glimmer in her eyes. "Dad, last night I heard something, and when I looked out the window, I saw Meg--" 

"I don't want to hear it, Gos," Drake cut her off. 

"Dad!" she yelled frustratedly. "You can't give up crimefighting! The Sinister Six have practically taken over the city! You remember what happened _last_ time!" 

"It's not my job anymore." 

"It has to be your job!" she argued. "Because Cinder Litress isn't who she says she is!" 

"Gosalyn, listen to me!" Drake's eyes flashed with something the girl had never seen before, and it silenced her abruptly. "I can't take care of this city forever, and it's about time the police learned how to do their jobs. Believe me, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was important." 

The doorbell rang, and the duck heaved another sigh, then said quietly, "There's Miss Litress. Don't give her any trouble, okay?" 

"Sure," she mumbled, refusing to meet his gaze. 

Drake touched her head in a fatherly manner and, when she didn't say anything, went back downstairs to open the door. 

Gosalyn folded her arms across her chest, listening to the muffled voices in the foyer. Fine, if he wouldn't listen to her, then she'd just have to go...undercover. 

Again, the sound of a door shutting reached her ears, and then her father's station wagon pulled out of the driveway and down Avian Way. 

There was much, much more here than met the eye. For one thing, her dad had never actually _told_ her why he had given up crimefighting. But Gosalyn remembered the day that strange woman had barged into her room...it hadn't taken her long to figure out that she was the only one in the city who'd seen the enigmatic Luminas. Was it mere coincidence that Cinder Litress closely resembled the woman she'd seen, and that _Megavolt_ had been in the cat's driveway last night? Gosalyn didn't think so. 

Soft footsteps on the stairs broke into her train of thought, and she looked at the door expectantly. 

"What are you up to?" Cinder asked Gosalyn (rather perfunctorily, the girl thought). 

"Nothing," she replied. After a moment's hesitation, she questioned in a carefully controlled tone, "Hey, have you ever had any trouble with the Sinister Six?" 

"Me? No, thank god." She smiled wryly. "Figures that I'd move in two months after they tore up the town, eh?" 

"Didn't you know?" Gosalyn asked incredulously. 

"Sure, I knew they _existed_, but the media really downplayed it." Cinder paused. "I thought a couple major stores had been hit, and then I get here and find the city crawling with the National Guard. It was a bit of a shock." 

Gosalyn wasn't buying it. "Yeah, that must be tough." 

Cinder gave her an odd look. "Indeed. Why do you ask, anyway?" 

"Oh, I dunno. Just curious. And if you stick around here long enough, you'll probably run into them. I'd watch out if I were you." 

The cat smiled. "Thanks for the warning. I'll keep it in mind." After a moment, she asked jocularly, "So, are you going to spend the whole day locked in your room again?" 

With a shrug, Gosalyn replied, "Probably. I'm gonna play my guitar later." 

Cinder winced. "Uh...with an amp?" 

"Uh, _yeah_, obviously." 

Wincing again, the cat suggested tentatively, "Gosalyn, darling, why don't I take a look at your guitar later?" 

"Why?" she asked suspiciously. 

"Well, it's not that I doubt your abilities, but it didn't sound as if you were quite in tune." 

"Hey, I know how to tune my guitar!" Gosalyn exclaimed defensively. 

"Alright, if you say so," Cinder responded speciously. "But you do realize that you can't have a band if your instruments aren't in tune...?" 

Gosalyn opened her mouth to retort, but, after a moment, closed it and pondered the cat's statement. "Okay," she finally agreed reluctantly. "I _guess_ you can make sure it's in tune. But that's all." 

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of overstepping my bounds." 

"Good." Gosalyn whirled and stomped up the stairs, and Cinder sighed. It was going to be another long day. 

~ 

Cinder kicked open the door to her bedroom and shot a streak of fire at her bedframe, leaving a smoking black hole in the headboard. 

"I can't believe that little pipsqueak of a kid figured something out!" she snarled, throwing open a trunk. In it was her supervillain attire, which she removed and tossed into a handbag, all except the boots, which she put on under her jeans. 

She drew a breath, which was supposed to be calming but only angered her more. "I need to commit some major crime," she grumbled. 

Yes, it had taken all of three days for Luminas to be driven to the verge of insanity and fury by Gosalyn Mallard. And to think it had only been three days. Drake worked six days a week. She had yet to experience the torture of a full week with that horrendous child. 

"I have descended into hell," she muttered. Then, realizing what day it was and what she was supposed to be doing, she groaned and added, "From the frying pan into the fire." 

Through extremely covert and secret tactics, she reached the lighthouse quickly and free of suspicion. 

The door creaked loudly as she kicked it open and called, "Megavolt?" 

There was no answer, which did not serve to put Luminas in a better mood. In fact, the only kind of mood it put her in was one comparable to Negaduck at his worst. 

"MEGAVOLT!" she yowled lividly. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING BUT GET DOWN HERE _RIGHT NOW_!" 

A moment later, there was a yelp and a metal clattering as something rather large bounced down the stairs, and then, quite suddenly, and right on cue, Megavolt landed in a heap at her feet. 

"Ouch," he winced. Looking up at Luminas, he winced again and got to his feet. "What's up?" 

"What's up?! WHAT'S UP?!" she shrieked. 

The rat put a hand to his ear (or at least where his ear should have been) and said, "Hold that thought for one second while I get my earplugs. Oh, and I almost forgot--do you want the whole city to hear you?!" 

This statement subdued her only marginally. "I'll tell you 'what's up', Sparky. We are supposed to be participating in a _significant_ illegal activity, which I can see you and the rest of our 'gang' have neglected to recall, there are even more commandos in this city than before, my face is about to be all over the news, and...and...I'm having a bad day!" she lamented. 

Megavolt shook his head and rolled his eyes. "For once, Luminas, you're wrong. Even _I_ remembered about the hotel, and QJ, Reggie, and Licky did, too. For once, _we_ are waiting for _you_." 

She opened her mouth to retort smartly, but what the rat had said sunk in quickly, considering her frame of mind. "You are?" 

"Yeah. We were enjoying a game of 'Whiffle Boy: The Return' when you barged in here." He gave her a meaningful look. 

"Oh...sorry." 

With a crack of his knuckles, he forgave her with a, "S'okay. It was worth it to see the look on Quacky's face when he picked up a joystick for the first time ever." 

Luminas quirked an eyebrow and inquired, "So where is he?" 

The supervillain in question tripped down the staircase and sing-songed, "Right here!" 

Bushroot and the Liquidator followed, though much less enthusiastically, exchanging several exasperated looks with each other. "Can we get this over with?" Bushroot asked plaintively. 

"Are you tired of hyperactive jesters who just won't take a hint?" the Liquidator added. 

"Hey, Luminas, guess what?!" Quackerjack exclaimed excitedly. 

Latching on to her arm, Bushroot pleaded before the jester could continue, "Let's get out of here! Please! Don't make us hear about the date again!" 

"What?" she questioned puzzledly. "Date...?" 

Megavolt's eyes widened, since Luminas had just said the worst possible thing, and he quickly shoved her out the door, whispering shrilly, "Do you realize what you've _done_?!" 

The two of them, along with Bushroot and the Liquidator, clambered into Megavolt's car. Quackerjack, on the other hand, floated. As Megavolt started the ignition, Luminas asked, "What's with him?" 

The rat hushed her desperately, but it was too late. Giving an insanely happy sigh, Quackerjack informed her, "I'm in love!" At these words, the remaining male members of the party groaned, and to prevent the jester from going on, Megavolt tore down the road, plastering everyone to their seats with a g-force of about seven. Driving at this speed, it wouldn't have taken long to get to the dark side of the moon--it was a simple (and screamingly fast) matter to get to the other side of town, where the Plaza Hotel was located. As befitted a Saturday night, the place was hopping, and, as befitted a group of supervillains about to take part in a dastardly deed, Megavolt parked in a dark, out of the way alley. The five members of the Sinister Six piled out of the car and grouped against the grungy brick wall. 

"Four out of five supervillains agree: we want a plan that's one hundred percent effective," the Liquidator quipped quietly. 

"Stop talking that way," Luminas hissed. To her surprise, he merely rolled his eyes and didn't retort with a somehow witty cliche. When it became clear that he wasn't going to say anything else, Luminas said, "Okay, here's the plan. Or at least as I understand it--Megavolt concocted most of this. Licky, you distract any police or amateur heroes that show up--" 

"Hey!" Quackerjack objected. "Don't be so indiscriminant!" 

Megavolt smacked the duck upside the head and berated him, "Just forget about your little hero girlfriend for the night, would you? For the love of Edison!" 

"Spoilsport." 

Glaring at the jester, Megavolt continued for Luminas, "Right, so Licky distracts...um...drat, what was it?! Oh, yeah! Bushroot, you and Quacky can clean out the front desk. A ritzy place like this oughtta have a lot of cash handy. Luminas and I get to find the propane tanks or whatever this place has." 

"What?!" Quackerjack demanded. "No fair! How come _you_ guys get to have all the fun?" 

Megavolt's eyes took on a faraway look. "I have a personal score to settle with the Plaza Hotel." 

"You do?" the other four villains asked (nearly) simultaneously. 

"Yeah. It's a long story--mini bars, free HBO...huh. They'll pay. Oh, they shall pay." 

Luminas didn't even bother giving that one any thought. "Let's go." 

Quackerjack, Bushroot, and the Liquidator made their ways quickly across the square to the hotel--that is, they ran wildly. "We should've brought disguises," Bushroot muttered nervously as he and Quackerjack stepped inside the glass revolving door and their watery comrade slipped into the shadows. 

"What for?" the jester snorted. "Don't be such a pansy." 

When the two of them stepped into the lobby, it became clear that the staff and patrons that evening had been dutifully keeping tabs on the major events in St. Canard, for most of them panicked and bolted. 

Seeing this, Quackerjack began to grin insanely and whipped out two sets of his notorious chattering teeth, setting them loose on the frightened crowd. "It's PLAAAYTIME!" he shouted gleefully. 

Taking his cue, Bushroot reached out a leafy tendril and wrapped it around the clerk at the front desk, who had stoically remained to defend his post. The poor man, however, took one look at the vine holding him captive, then the mutant it belonged to, and fainted. With a nervous laugh (for that had seemed much too easy), the plant-duck scampered over to the desk and forced the drawers open. 

They were all empty. 

An awful suspicion formed in Bushroot's mind as he watched Quackerjack chase terrified citizens around the lobby. And his suspicion was confirmed in the most horrible of ways when a caped, masked figure crashed through the door. 

~ 

"We're lost." 

"We are not." 

"Yes, we are!" Luminas peered down yet another dark hallway. "You have no idea where you're going!" 

Megavolt held up a hand for silence, then sniffed the air experimentally. 

"What are you doing now?" 

With an exasperated sigh, the rat snapped, "I'm looking for electrical waves, if you don't mind." 

"You have a screw loose, Sparky," Luminas informed him, starting down the corridor. "In fact, you have a whole panel lo--" A closed door suddenly caught her attention, and she halted to inspect it. Pressing an ear up against it, she was able to faintly hear the hissing of gas slowly escaping from a tank. Quietly, she motioned to Megavolt, who joined her after a moment. Luminas attempted to turn the handle on the door, but predictably, it was locked. "Can you get this open?" she asked her companion. 

Megavolt already seemed lost in thought, however, and was mumbling to himself, "If I magnetize the pins..." He trailed off into incoherence, then looked at Luminas with a gleam in his eyes. "Have any metal on you?" Without waiting for her to answer, he reached out faster than a viper and unhooked one of her earrings. 

"Hey!" 

"I'll buy you a new pair," he pacified her absently. 

Luminas watched over his shoulder as he pounded the earring flat and zapped it, then inserted it into the lock. After a moment, he yanked at the handle, and the door swung open. Inside were several tanks--one of them had a small, though visible, hole in it, through which natural gas was escaping into the room. 

"This place is going to blow anyway," Megavolt observed. "No help from us even needed." 

Luminas rubbed her hands together in malicious glee. "Well, we can hurry the process along." 

"Can't argue with that," Megavolt responded with a grin. "Just let me get this light..." 

She waited impatiently while he unscrewed a red-hinted lightbulb,cradled it in his hands for a moment, and stored it away somewhere on his person. "Are you ready now?" 

"Affirmative," Megavolt answered. "Just be careful--I don't want to go in a crime committed merely for destruction." 

"Then why are you doing this?" 

"To keep you out of trouble, Cinderella." 

Snorting and pushing a stack of cardboard boxes towards one of the tanks, she remarked sardonically, "Right, I need you to keep me out of trouble." She held up a hand and flicked her thumb against her finger, causing a small flame to flare up. Quickly, she lit the cardboard boxes, then took off like a shot, grabbing Megavolt (who'd backed into the hallway) by the arm. The two of them careened through the lower levels of the hotel, and in fact had almost reached an exit, when the first explosion hit. 

~ 

The Flying Wonder rolled to her feet quite gracefully and noticeably unhurt after coming through the revolving door in a rather unconventional manner and took quick stock of the situation. "Show's over," she growled dangerously. 

Bushroot had no clue who this young heroine was, but judging by Quackerjack's gaping expression, _he_ did. The plant-duck also judged that his compatriot wasn't planning on moving any time soon. Desperately, Bushroot scanned the room for some help. Ah, there in the corner--two scrawny, potted palm trees. They'd be only too happy to lend a branch considering how they most likely had been treated. 

Bushroot whistled and gestured wildly to the palms, who took a hint immediately, trundled over to the heroine (who was in the middle of a speech that the villain wasn't listening to), and raised their pots to hit the girl. 

"Look out!" Quackerjack yelped in an extremely uncharacteristic tone--one that made him sound as if he were vacillating--just as the trees swung. 

The heroine ducked instinctively and pulled a bizarre looking contraption out of its holster, whipping it around at the plants and neatly taking off most of their branches. Then, turning back to Bushroot, she asked in a typically heroic tone, "How are you at swinging?" 

"Huh?" he questioned blankly, realizing too late that the odd, evidently razor sharp weapon was headed in his direction. "Eeek!" 

Bushroot managed to duck, however, and also managed to catch Quackerjack's meek, "Uh-oh." 

For a moment, the plant-duck forgot about the heroine and turned to his companion. "_Uh-oh_?! What do you mean, uh--ohhh." 

Unfortunately for Bushroot, he had neglected to note the distinct, boomerang-like shape of the weapon, and that mistake had come back to haunt him. Literally. 

With Bushroot down, the Flying Wonder turned to Quackerjack, who smiled nervously. "Hey...have fun last night? I know I did...um..." 

She looked at him ruefully. "Sorry, Quackerjack. But I just can't let you--" 

A colossal explosion rocked the building, forcing the Flying Wonder to break off and clutch at the desk to keep from falling. Her date from the night before looked as if he was about to use this chance to escape, so she dove for him. 

"You don't need to throw yourself at me," the duck wisecracked. 

She shot a look at him the hovered between a glare and distress--the glare was actually for him, but the distress was the sanest reaction she could muster at the sight of a blazing fire raging down the hallway. 

"Get your friend!" she gasped. 

Quackerjack needed no second warning--he was out the door dragging Bushroot behind him almost before the Flying Wonder could move. 

At least half of the state's National Guard and St. Canard's police force in its entirety were waiting outside. 

"Eep," the duck squeaked. 

~ 

Megavolt and Luminas paused for a breath just inside the exit of the hotel substructure and she panted, "I've got to see this!" 

"Sure, sure," he agreed nervously. "Just as soon as we get out of here. I don't play with fire." 

The two of them stepped outside and were instantly surrounded by a group of ten armed policemen. "Hands up in the air," one of the cops ordered. 

Luminas peeked over Megavolt's shoulder as the villain raised his arms, though he definitely had no intention of going peaceably to jail. His hands crackled with electricity, but the police had been prepared for the eventuality and uncovered a giant fire-hose. Megavolt's eyes widened and he shrieked as the highly pressurized water blasted into him. 

Luminas watched his body convulse with electricity for a moment, then threw a swathe of fire at several policemen blocking her path to freedom and dashed towards a building on the other side of the plaza that had a fire escape hanging just low enough for her to reach. The cops weren't far behind, though, and by the time she clambered up the fire escape to the roof, they could have practically reached out and touched her. 

A quick look around confirmed what she already knew--the only way to escape was to take the rooftop route. It was quite a jump to the nearest building and one that few could make. Luminas doubted her own ability to do so, but it was the only way. So, taking a deep, steadying breath, she sprinted to the edge of the roof, gathered herself, and leapt. 

For a moment, it almost seemed as if she would reach the other building, but she began falling just short of grabbing distance. 

And then, out of nowhere, a slimy, gelatin-textured hand clasped hers and she stopped short in mid-flight. She turned her head upwards, and the Liquidator's aqueous eyes met hers. 

"Tired of hanging around?" he inquired with an obnoxious grin. 

"Now more than ever," she returned, scrabbling for a hold against the building. "Could you help me up?" 

The Liquidator complied with her request, and the two of them watched as the Plaza Hotel blew sky high. Several scraps of metal and cement crashed down onto the rooftop they were currently inhabiting, and the watery canine advised, "We'd better blow this joint--something tells me this fine city's law enforcement isn't here to watch the fireworks with us." 

Luminas shook her head and the two villains hastily vanished into the night. 


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 

Luminas and the Liquidator eventually relocated to one of his many hideouts. This one happened to be a warehouse on the wharf. 

"Any ideas what went wrong?" the Liquidator questioned with an edge to his voice that Luminas hadn't heard before. 

She chewed at her lip and replied, "For all the police to have been there? Someone must have tipped them off." 

"My thoughts exactly," he agreed in that same viperous tone of voice. "Normally I'd suspect you--" 

"Me?!" 

"--but I have a strong feeling that it was Quackerjack." 

This surprised her. "Quackerjack? Do you really think he'd go traitor on us?" 

"Maybe not intentionally," he admitted. "But...well, turn a light on." 

Luminas did as he asked and was slightly taken aback by what she saw. "Licky, you're...solid." 

"That's right." 

"I was wondering how you could've caught me," she mused. 

The Liquidator took a seat on a rickety metal chair and stared at her. "How many people would think to do this in their first encounter with me?" he asked bluntly. When the other supervillain shrugged, he informed her, "Not even Darkwing Duck got it the first time. Yet this little teenybopper of a crime-fighter somehow was able to come up with that brilliant plan--not to mention a box of Jell-O--while in her first tiff with me ever. Now I don't care about Quackerjack's love life--and up until now he hasn't had one--but something tells me that was the girl he'd been raving about. And I think he told her just a bit too much." 

Furrowing her brow, she murmured, "Then he has a lot to own up to." Luminas glanced at him, not even bothering to hide the anxiety in her eyes. "I didn't know it would be that volatile." 

Neither said what both were thinking. It could have been in and out. If there hadn't been any police they could have been farther away. Neither would admit it openly, but they were concerned for the other three members of their gang. 

Suddenly, a sound caught her attention outside and she scrambled to look out the window. "Oh, great." 

"What?" 

"The cops are searching for us. C'mon, let's go to the lighthouse. It's better fortified. And we can play with the stuff in Sparky's lab." 

Once again, the two of them found themselves on a rapid jaunt across town. The lighthouse turned out to be remarkably safe--either the law had already scouted there, or they had seen no merit in doing so. Luminas eventually drifted off and dreamed, as she always did, of conflagrations consuming everything. This time, though, the dream had one distinct quality. Megavolt was there. 

~ 

"Luminas. Luminas, wake up." 

The Liquidator stared at her dozing form, then splashed several drops of water onto her face. She awoke abruptly, sputtering as if she were drowning. With a glare in his direction, she inquired sweetly, "Yes?" 

He pointed to the battered television, where a reporter was saying, "...and at present count, three hundred are dead and many more are wounded, including the suspected perpetrators of the crime, whose names are currently being withheld. More breaking news on the Plaza Hotel fire as we get it." 

Luminas let out an explosive breath and remarked, "Well, that would have to be them, wouldn't it?" 

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but let's hope so." 

A quiet, but clearly audible metal clattering seemed to suddenly reverberate throughout the lighthouse. The two supervillains turned simultaneously to a dark corner that was mostly obscured by an odd machine. They looked at each other and approached the corner. The Liquidator shoved the machine aside to reveal a red-headed girl that was all too familiar to both of them. 

Gosalyn lashed out with a foot faster than lightening, but it merely squelched harmlessly into the Liquidator's gelatinous leg as he picked her up and dangled her in the air. A sinister laugh bubbled deep within his throat as Luminas stared cruelly at the girl. "Oh, Gozzie, what a pleasant surprise. So, you like to live dangerously, hon?" Gosalyn glared and opened her mouth to retort, but Luminas clamped a hand around her bill. "Well, you won't. Whatever you're doing here, you'll regret it." 

~ 

the end 


End file.
